The mentioned of Peggy brought me back to another memory.

It started with a documentation video dated 2305 playing on a projector. For the first few minutes, it was simply showing a woman having a USG confirming the baby's gender to be a female. When she was finally born, the focus was shifted to a peculiar lump on her rib.

The lump was eventually removed from her with surgery and placed neatly on a tray. It looked no different than just flesh.

Pair of eyes marvelled at the sight. There wasn't a single sound transpire. Some gaped their mouth in awe, some were cringing, and the rest looked utterly confused.

"A revelation from somewhere in Asia when this," --the narrator voice in coinciding as the lump shown up close-- "was buried underground. Then 16 years later a being with similarities to the previous human male was discovered."

An image of something I had never seen before appeared on the screen. It was the thing my mother had told me about but couldn't explain it fully.

Light illuminated the room following the click-clack sound of Ms.Octavia's high heels against the floor as she walked to the centre of the class. She was our new teacher, to the subject name Pod Men.

A girl with a ponytail raised her hand enthusiastically.

"Yes?" Ms.Octavia shifted her body to the girl, granting her permission to speak.

"So... is this what we planted in our backyard? Is it our twin?" she asked.

Spectators of girls the age 13 all turned their heads. Curiosity flashed in their faces, including me.

A faint smile formed at the corner of Ms.Octavia lips. She was intrigued by the question. "Well, it's highly debatable. We've seen twins, and they were born together. However, this" —she pointed her hand to the motionless screen with an image of a lifeless human look-alike lying on a stretcher— "grow underground. The mother being earth."

The subject sparked more interest obviously by the way every girl suddenly raising their hands to ask questions. They impatiently threw rambles at each other, resulting in a commotion. It was more than Ms.Octavia could handle.

A pounding sound of her hand hitting the table made the whole room fell silent once more.

"It can't move, can't talk, can't feel. Its just a resemblance of the previously extinct man," she said loud and clear, giving eye contact to every girl who peered her way.

History study included the story of how men went extinct. They were something that only lived in the past in our textbooks.

I'd learned more of it from my researching. But there weren't many resources since the internet was also still newly reconstructed, unlike how it was during the glory days of technology. Sadly, mechanisation collapsed ten years after men ceased to exist.

"But I can feel it," said a girl.

My head snapped to her briskly, almost giving my neck a whip. In accordance, every eye was on her. For once, I felt relief knowing it wasn't only me who noticed the 'connection'.

I was about to express my agreement, but suddenly derisive laughter pierced through the air, making me halt.

"Crazy!" One of my classmates derided, while some of the others were showing contempt. More inappropriate words were thrown her way; words that gave the meaning of her being in a mental disturbance.

Once more, Ms.Octavia allayed the class with a strike on her table. "Quiet, quiet," she instructed, her eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean you can feel it?" she pacified, swaying her hips as she sashayed to the girl who made the claim.

The girl's face was red as a tomato, evidently abashed by the remark she just received from our classmates. She pressed her lips together, so I thought she would back down, but suddenly she opened her mouth again.

"I do, I can feel it. I can't explain it," she said in defence.

The other girls started to make a ruckus again, but Ms.Octavia raised her hands to set them in order. "What's your name?" she asked as she touched the girl's shoulder, an eerie smile had taken place on her face.

"Peggy," the girl answered.

For a second I swore our gaze met, she caught me looking intently at her, and it made me feel like I was a coward. I just sat and watched her being intimidated there.

"Let's talk after class, okay?" Ms.Octavia whispered to her. When she leaned lower, the rest of her words were muffled.

After that day she was the centre of attention at school but unfortunately not the compelling kind; she was picked on, bullied upon, and as much as I wanted to help her, I didn't have the courage to do so.

***

As my mind lingered in the half-awake state, my conscience struck me. Alatha who sat on the opposite of the table gave me a look of remorse.

"Even I don't agree with her. Bullying her is just so wrong," she said.

"What happened to her? I heard--" I contemplated on what best to say. There were so many rumours regarding Peggy after she suddenly disappeared. "She was--"

Alatha interjected, "She transferred." However, the lack of conviction on her face said otherwise.

One of the speculations spreading around was she being sent to the psychiatric hospitals. If it wasn't for the mental illness they thought she had for having a sort of bizarre communication with a plant, it was due to the harsh treatment she got at school. Both ways she was done for.

"You know it's absurd right? Feeling something you don't even see yet," Alatha added. Probably she saw my worry expression.

I gave her a solemn look since I couldn't hide it. "What are you getting at? I told you its just a hunch," I muttered my vindication.

"No, but" —she paused as if thinking it thorough— "you are acting weird lately." A heavy sigh flushed out of her.

Peggy Peyrel was labelled crazy just by confessing she could feel her pod men, what would a person who named her's Alfie like me be entitled as? I was another level of crazy.

I could only trust my mother now. Even my best friend placed a threat to me. I was afraid of any miss up to her beliefs, and here I thought she would understand which was the reason I asked her out today in the first place.

"Maybe it's the heat," I lied to her, again.

"Oh that explains the melted ice cream then," she scoffed, giving me a sly look.

To be continued...

***

Thank you for reading.

Vote & Comments will be much appreciated.

*USG: Ultrasonography is a procedure that uses high-energy sound waves to look at tissues and organs inside the body. The sound waves makes echoes that form pictures of the organ and tissues on a computer screen (sonogram).